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Bed Too Hot or Too Cold? Find a Solution

Learn how mattresses affect sleep temperature and fixes for a too hot or too cold bed.

Trying to get a good night’s rest in a bed that is too hot or too cold can be extremely difficult. Does your mattress have you tossing and turning as a result of an uncomfortable temperature? Don’t mess with your sleep. There are some things you can do to keep your cool….or lose it, whichever you fancy.

Sleeping too cold at night can contribute to arthritis and fibromyalgia symptoms as well as making it hard to sleep well. But, uncomfortable sweating, tossing and turning and disrupted sleep can all be caused by a bed that is too hot as well. No one wants to try to sleep in either situation.

Keeping your bedroom and mattress at an optimal sleep temperature and finding a workable solution, especially for partners who may have different temperature preferences, can seem difficult but is not impossible. In this article, we’ll look at ways to warm up and cool down at night, or do both.

Why Do You Sleep Hot or Cold?

Numerous factors can combine to make a bed feel too hot or cold to sleep comfortably. Some that come to mind include room temperature, mattress composition, bedding, as well as individual metabolisms and preferences. A mattress’s breathability and heat retaining properties can affect how hot you feel. Each mattress will vary in breathability, some more than others.

The firmness of your bed can affect the temperature you sleep at, also. According to SleepLikeTheDead.com:

“Due to the fact that a person sinks in somewhat to a soft mattress, air flow around the sleeper is thereby restricted often resulting in greater heat trap potential.

By contrast, a person tends to sleep on top of a firm mattress thereby having greater air flow. However, highly conforming firmer mattresses, such as certain Tempur-Pedic models, have above-average heat trap potential due to their ability to mold around the sleeper.”

Because temperature is largely dependent upon individual preference and how hot or cool your body naturally feels, couples can have fairly different ideas of what feels good. One person may prefer hot while the other cold. This obviously can be a problem in one bed!

Another thing to consider is that we aren’t always the same body temperature. Our bodies experience temperature fluctuations throughout the night, so what feels good at 10 PM may feel too cold at 12 AM or too warm in the morning!

Keep reading to see how different mattresses and fabrics can factor in to your sleep temperature.

How Bed Composition Influences Sleep Temperatures

Aside from personal factors and room temperature, mattresses play perhaps the biggest role in how cool or warm you will ultimately feel. Each bed type has different materials and properties, and if temperature is a concern for you, it can be helpful to know the differences when choosing a new mattress.

Percentages in our comparisons are from independent review sites like SleepLikeTheDead.com.

Latex Mattresses

About 7% of latex mattress owners report sleeping too hot.

Latex mattresses have a pretty low rate of heat complaints, but can vary considerably depending on material type and bed composition. Beds with natural latex may sleep cooler, while beds with synthetic latex can feel warmer, and those with thick layers of regular foam on top of the latex may sleep warmest. Latex mattresses with pinholes throughout also perform better on breathability, as can beds with breathable covers made of cotton or wool. Overall owner satisfaction ratings stand at 80% with latex mattresses.

Memory Foam Mattresses

About 9% of memory foam mattress owners report sleeping too hot.

Overall, memory foam beds have a fairly high rate of heat complaints compared to springs and other non-foam mattress types, but significant differences are present across different brands and types of memory foam. For traditional temperature-sensitive memory foam, complaint rates tend to be around 8-12%, with higher density beds sleeping hotter.

Gel infused memory foam feels cooler initially, and these mattresses tend to have heat complaint rates of about 6-8% (with models that have gel close to surface feeling coolest). Plant-based memory foam can sleep up to 25% cooler than other types according to some studies, and plant based mattresses have lower heat complaint rates from 2-6%. As a whole, memory foam mattresses have an owner satisfaction rating of about 81%.

Innerspring or Coil Mattresses

Up to 10% of innerspring owners report sleeping too hot, depending on type.

Spring mattresses have a core made of metal coils, topped with layers of foam and fiber. Some types of spring mattresses rate as low as 5%, but others are more likely to sleep hot, specifically those with thick comfort layers and those with thick memory foam layers, of which 10% of reviewers report a heat issue. Overall owner satisfaction is around 63% with coil mattresses.

Waterbed Mattresses

Waterbed mattress owners are more likely to report sleeping cold than hot.

Since water adapts to room temperature and absorbs body heat, very few waterbed mattress owners have problems sleeping too hot. Usually, the more common issue is feeling too cold, which can be remedied with a waterbed heater. Then you can set the temperature.

Sleep Temperature Solutions

Finding solutions that will help you and your partner sleep at the ideal temperature can help minimize aches and pains while improving your quality of rest. Specialists and studies have estimated that the ideal range for good sleep is somewhere between 60-72 degrees, though as we said, this can vary from person to person. If you can’t get the mattress for your needs, use some of the following remedies to balancing your temperature at night

If your bed is too cold at night:

Electric blankets help keep covers toasty and warm in the winter, and can help warm up your mattress. Electric blankets are not recommended for memory foam, as many react to heat.

Heated mattress pads can help warm your body and the mattress surface.

Use a higher weight blanket that offers strong insulation.

Wear socks and keep your hands under the blankets, as your feet and hands are most sensitive to temperature.

Use a waterbed heater with water mattresses to reach a more comfortable temperature.

Use a memory foam topper to provide a little warmth on water beds that feel too cool.

If your bed is too hot at night:

100% cotton or bamboo sheets are an ideal choice for hot summer nights, as they excel at breathability and moisture wicking.

Use lightweight covers on your bed made of natural, breathable fibers (as opposed to polyester and other synthetics which can trap heat).

Choose a mattress type known to sleep cooler, such as an innerspring without foam padding, plant-based memory foam mattresses, or waterbeds.

Uncover part of your body, as your blood circulates it will cool the rest of your body.

If your preference fluctuates:

Natural wool mattress pads, covers and toppers can help keep you cool in the summer while wicking away moisture, and can also help keep you warm during winter.

Natural silk also excels at balancing temperatures and wicking moisture.

You can also use a couple layers of bedding, like a thicker top cover and lighter blanket, so that if you get too warm you can just peel the thicker layer back without having to remake the whole bed.

If you and your partner like different temperatures:

There are products that heat and cool sleep surfaces. They can be an ideal solution for couples that have different ideas of comfort, as dual models allow each person to choose different temperature settings.

You can use different types of comforters to suit your preferences. The hot sleeper can opt for a lighter-weight blanket while the cold sleeper can use a heavier one.

Using temperature balancing and moisture-wicking fabrics like wool and bamboo for mattress covers and sheets can help keep you both happy.

If you are too cold or too hot at night, it can be frustrating and difficult to fall asleep, and it can also affect how well you sleep throughout the night. One of the best ways to stay comfortable is to be conscious of how different materials interact with body heat when choosing mattresses and bedding. Generally, natural fibers prove more breathable which can help keep you cooler, and dense foams tend to be better at insulating and retaining body heat.

When trying to find a solution, consider how how you sleep, your natural body temperature, your partner’s preferences, your mattress and your bedding. The answer could be as simple as changing your sheets, adding a mattress cover, or opting for two covers, or you could upgrade to a bed that is a better fit.

Hopefully you’ve found a couple helpful solutions for improving a too cold or too hot mattress, and feel free leave your own bed tips in the comments.

Reader Interactions

Comments

i like to get into a warm bed, but cannot sleep if too hot, I the electric blanket I bought was polyester, and I felt I was burning all night. Consequently got up in the middle of the night to take it off and remake the bed. waste of money then

We are moving to much warmer and humid tropical country from East Coast. Looking for a mattress that is breathable and keeps us cool at night, Latex mattress is too expensive and we don’t prefer wool based mattress. Any insight would be helpful! Thanks.

Last month I purchased a Sealy Posturepedic Mahoe Bay Pillow Top Plush mattress, softness 7, from Hassless Mattresses in Brookfield, WI. I find myself getting up every two hours because I’m so warm. There is a 100 day warranty and want to exchange it, however, I’m afraid I’ll pick the wrong mattress again. I am currently considering the Simmons Beautyrest Ocean Springs mattress, softness 5ish, because of its aircool foam layers. I have no idea if they are plant based or not. Could you please give me your opinion and/or suggestions? Thank you.

Hi i bought a sealy matress and its extreamly warm. I guess poor quality. I cannot sleep at all. I bought a coolmax matress pad and it is a desaster. It does not help at all plus it gave me an allergy reaction. I bought this item at sleep country and its not refundable. How can they robbed this way to customers selling products that do not work. I will never buy any product at this store.

Hi i bought a sealy matress and its extreamly warm. I guess poor quality. I cannot sleep at all. I bought a coolmax matress pad and it is a desaster. It does not help at all plus it gave me an allergy reaction. I bought this item at slerp country and its not refundable. How can they robbed this way to customers selling products that do not work. I will never buy ant product at this store.

Hello, we recently bought a new mattress that has gel top. Happy with the support it provides. However, by 1 am my husbands body heat as transferred through the gel over to my side. It’s way to hot. It wakes me up every night. I have tried sleeping on top of a thick quilt but I still wake often over heated. Do you have any ideas on what else I can try? Very open to ideas. The mattress has helped my hip pains. Which is why we purchased this mattress.

I am always freezing in any bed except my own. I need a new mattress now and I need one the same. It’s got to have NO springs and and be memory foam/latex. Most of all it needs to keep me warm all night!

We have an Englander foam rubber mattress with a built-in memory foam topper (about 3 inches) on a Tempur-pedic platform. It was hot to sleep on because it was so soft. After reading various reviews of mattresses I realized sinking into the foam top was the main problem so we flipped the mattress over and solved the problem, no more sinking. Now we still have an adjustable bed but it stays cool because we are sleeping on the latex rubber only. My wife and I like the support better as well. I love free solutions!

It’s always super hot at night when I try to go to sleep during any season other than winter. I didn’t know that the mattress can be a factor into how hot it is. I’ll have to watch for that in the future, when I need to replace my mattress again.

We have tried 4 different beds: Sleep #, Beauty Rest Black pillow top and hybrid, and lastly Diamond “Relieve”. They all feel like my car seat heaters after contact with my shoulders , back and hips. My husband is fine and starting to think finding a new wife would be cheaper and less frustrating. After reading your article, and MANY others, we have now concluded that memory foam is the culprit. None of our previous beds had this issue. Memory foam is now so universally used, and, obviously, the majority of sleepers aren’t affected or there would be protests in the streets! Yes, you can have a bed designed for “you” thru Helix, but you must have the correct support system waiting…and returning such a mattress looks nearly impossible. Please….if you will….provide us with a mattress brand that caters to hot spot sleepers like myself. The “cool touch” memory foam in our present bed (going into the guest room) becomes “warm touch” in short order. I am obviously not alone or mattress companies would not be advertising all of their cooling properties. i.e. Diamond Dust and gel infused. I will be trying a wool topper when we get to a Duxiana store to check one out in person. Bamboo sheets? Perhaps but are they better than plain ole cotton? Have even checked out the Bed Jet, but concluded that it would not solve this issue as it cannot keep the “contact spots” cool. Just everything around them.

Kathy I am feeling your pain. I also am struggling to find a cool sleep option. I had no problem with our previous mattress that unfortunately got flooded, or with other older stye mattresses I have slept on recently. If you have found a workable solution I would love to know. Surely the manufacturers have to start listening soon. Best of Luck Brande

Have you ever considered a cold foam mattress the ones without memory or gel topping? They can be manufactured very cheap and it has been tested by orthopedics in Europe receiving very good results. But mattress industry in NA isn’t willing to give up their 1000% margins so they come up with tons of ideas how to confuse customers. Just give a try an IKEA foam mattress for example. I always used logic less sinking into the mattress less overheating during the night.

what did you find as a solution? I am about to return my Breeze Temperpedic because I can’t stand the heating effect. Researching this takes so much time and then there is the return of the mattress, etc. I”m wondering what you found eventually…

I can only sleep on bamboo sheets on our sleep number bed. Hubby runs very warm and the air bladder on his side heats up the one on my side making me think I’ve lost my mind, never a problem before sleep number bed. Now using bamboo sheets and a cooling mattress pad during cooler times and add 3 (yes 3) fans blowing in summer. I sleep just fine on any other mattress. Sleep number wants $1600 for a cooling system to fix their design flaw! I think not!

I read your post and have been throught the EXACT same issue. My husband thinks I am ready for the looney bin. We have had 6 mattresses in the past 5 years. Current is a Serta Hybrid which is very comfortable in every way except the heat is unbearable. I too considered the crazy BedJet, but also concluded that it would not likely help the problem of the hot spots from underneath. I was just wondering how you are doing, if you have found a solution and if so, what mattress you are using? I am now considering returning the Serta for some type of latex. BTW, I tried the wool blanket insulation suggestion, but didn’t find that to be of much help either.

I have major issues with mattresses that sleep hot! We have just tried 3 mattresses, 1 from one company and 2 from another. Every one of them retained body heat and prevented me from getting a good night’s sleep. The first store allowed us to return the mattress and get our money back, but the second company would only allow exchanges and kept promising us that “Oh, no, THIS mattress is one of our “coolest!” Can’t remember what the first mattress was we purchased from Mattress Firm, but the 2 we purchased from Mattress Gallery Direct were a Stearns and Foster and a Jamison mattress – both too expensive. They wanted us to exchange the last one for an Englander Resort mattress which cost $3,900 with a gel material in the top of the mattress. We refused and told them we did not trust them. We are now stuck with their Jamison mattress that is too hot!

Mattresses with “cooling” properties work towards keeping your body cooler vs other mattress brands that don’t. If you naturally sleep hot you will want to find a mattress brand that will not exaggerate this. I recommend a plant based memory foam as its 5x more breathable than traditional memory foam and 25% cooler than gel. There are not any memory foam mattress brands that will make you sleep cold, there are many that can cause over heating.

My partner and I have concerns about getting the right type of mattress. We are larger XXL plus would be the correct term. Need a material that won’t over heat our bodies yet provide the optimum back and hip support with out causing circulation problems. It’s truly overwhelming. A knowledgeable sales person would help a great deal. What mattress and or please tell us what your suggestions you may have, to help us make a better decision. Also hiw can we tell if the mattress doesn’t give off or made harmful products ie; petroleum based products.

You might prefer latex foam over other mattress types for a couple reasons. All natural latex, particularly Dunlop type, is among the most durable mattress materials so if you choose a quality option it will last longer than an average foam or spring bed. Latex also is good for both pressure point relief and back support, and the natural version should not contain any harmful products. Have a look at our guide to latex for more information.